On the wings of Butterflies
by Jellybeaners
Summary: Ephram becomes very ill. This story looks at his fight to regain his health,and Andy's feelings when he learns he can do nothing for his son.
1. Sick

Disclaimer: I don not own Everwood or any of the characters except for Thachory, please don't sue. Even if you do all you will get is this computer and trust me you'll give it back. This story will get a little slashy in later chapters so if you don't like that stuff turn back now.

Ephram Brown woke up with a headache. It wasn't even a really bad headache, just enough to be bothersome in his day. He walked out of his room in his pajama pants and T-shirt and down the stairs. He immediately regretted this action because the smell from what was to be breakfast hit his nose and he became very nauseous. Thoughts of running back up the stairs before his dad knew he was awake appeared in his mind, maybe if his dad thought he was asleep long enough, Delia would convince him that food isn't supposed to smell like that and he could sneak out of the house without having to eat whatever it was. Ephram didn't feel vary much like eating anyway, he didn't feel vary well.

Just about the time his brain convinced him that hiding from his dad and the culinary disaster that was smoking on the stove was the best bet, his dad, Andy spotted him.

" Good morning, Ephram."

"hmmpf", was all Ephram managed in response.

" Well someone sounds chipper this morning."

Ephram was staring daggers into his father. He always found his dad annoying, but particularly so when he didn't feel well. His headache was beginning to get worse and so was the nausea. The last thing he wanted to see was his father's always-cheerful smile.

" I made pancakes." Andy Brown sat a vary large stack of pancakes on the table in front of his son. The site and the smell of the "food" were too much for Ephram and he immediately ran from the room.

"What's wrong?" , called Dr. Brown as Ephram ran past him. His answer came in the form, of the sound, of Ephram retching in the bathroom. Andy quickly turned to his Delia.

"Honey why don't you go outside and what for Irv to come for you. I highly doubt if your brother will be going to school today."

"Okay Daddy. I love you."

"I love you to baby and have a good day."

"I will."

Andy sighed deeply and went to check on his son who was still vomiting in the other room.

In the bathroom, Ephram was hunched over the toilet gripping the seat with both hands. He had long since threw up the contents of his stomach, but was still dry heaving. He was incredibly dizzy and his vision was somewhat blurry. Andy reached the bathroom and knelt down next to his son.

" Hey what's wrong Ephr… Oh my god, Ephram"

It was at that moment he took a really good look at his son and Andy didn't like what he saw, as a parent or as a doctor.

Ephram's face was slick with sweat and he was visibly shivering. His eyes were glossy and didn't appear to be focusing on anything. The thing that bothered Andy the most was that Ephram didn't seem to hear him when he tried to talk to him. In a sheer panic Andy ran for his medical bag and the cordless telephone.

Things were no less frightening on Ephram's end of things. The pain in his head was all he could concentrate on, it felt like it was going to explode. He could hear his dad talk to him but the words sounded all jumbled, and the world seemed to be spinning, making everything worse.


	2. Fear

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. In the following chapters I will proceed to show off the fact that I have NO medical knowledge at all. This is fiction, after all and I making this up as I go along.

FEAR

Andy was in such a panic that he couldn't find his medical bag even though it was sitting on the kitchen table, where he had left it not five minuets ago. His thoughts were moving a hundred miles a minuet, trying to figure out what could be wrong with Ephram. He found the bag when he ran to the kitchen to get the phone to call his nurse, Edna. He was so scared that he could barely dial the phone, his hands were shaking so bad.

"Dr. Brown's office."

"Edna!"

"Doc, what's wrong?" Edna was kind of disturbed by the tone in Andy's voice.

"Ephram is really sick. I need you to close the office and come over here right away. I will probably have to take him to the hospital and I don't think that I can do this alone." Andy's voice was brimming with tears as he finally reached the bathroom again.

"I'll be right there doc."

Inside the bathroom Ephram was laying with his head on the tub, he was barely conscious. Andy immediately was by his side trying to take his temperature, but Ephram was fighting him. He was vary confused and was combative, he wasn't letting Andy anywhere near him.

"Come on Ephram, I need to look at you. Stop fighting me. PLEASE, Ephram!" Andy was becoming desperate. He had seen many patients in this kind of state of confusion, but this wasn't just a patient, this was his son.

Andy realized he had to calm down if he was to be any help to Ephram at all. he got as close to Ephram as he could.


	3. praying

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. In the following chapters I will proceed to show off the fact that I have NO medical knowledge at all. This is fiction, after all and I'm making this up as I go along.

Andy managed to get Ephram calmed down enough to take his temperature and listen to his chest. Ephram's chest sounded relatively clear, and his fever was not high enough to be causing the kind of confusion he was experiencing. 

The front door opened.

"Doc?"

"We're in the bathroom."

Edna was shocked by the state that Ephram was in. He was sweating profusely, and was mumbling something incoherent. His eyes were glassy and he didn't seem to focus on any one thing.

"We need to try and get his temperature down!"

"Edna, his temperature is only 101.3!"

The worry lines in Edna's forehead deepened as she put a shaky hand on Ephram's wet brow. It was relatively cool to the touch. Something was wrong with the kid, very wrong.

"Did, he complain of anything in particular?"

"No he came down to breakfast, and then the next thing I know he is in the bathroom throwing up everything in his stomach, and when I came in here, he was like this.

"We need to get him to the hospital NOW!"

*******At the Hospital*********

Ephram was lying on an exam table in the emergency room in a fitful sleep. Andy was doing his best to remain calm, but he wasn't being too successful at it. Edna was standing in the door observing the scene from a distance. She was afraid. Edna Harper was afraid. She hadn't known the Brown's really all that long, but she did know a few things like, Andy Brown was always in control, it was one of the things that made him a great doctor, and surgeon. In the last two hours, she had seen Andy break into panic at least four times. She couldn't blame him though, she understood, after all she is a parent too.

"I'm going to get some coffee, you want anything doc?"

"No."

Andy never even turned to look at her, his eyes wee glued to Ephram. It was apparent to him very early on that what ever was wrong with Ephram was neurological, not much else except for fever causes someone's mental status to change like that. Being a neurosurgeon, was not a blessing in a situation like this. The old saying goes, _Ignorance is bliss,_ but Andy could not be ignorant to his son's condition, even before the tests' results come in, he has some idea of what may be wrong with his son, and he doesn't like what he's thinking it may be.

" I love you Ephram. I don't tell you that nearly enough, but I love you so much. My life is empty without you and Delia, you have to get better no matter what. Whatever this is you will fight it and I will be there every step of the way."

Andy leaned in and kissed his son's forehead. He sat back and looked at his son's pale face and began to pray something he hasn't done in a long time.


	4. bad news

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. In the following chapters I will proceed to show off the fact that I have NO medical knowledge at all. This is fiction, after all and I'm making this up as I go along.

Attention: The way Ephram's medical condition is explained may not be realistic, but like I said before I have no medical knowledge. Please no flames. I'm sorry this chapter is so short but I have a lot going on right now, I promise that the next one will be longer. 

"Dr. Brown?"

Andy turned around to look at the young man that had just entered the room.

"Yes."

"I'm Ephram's doctor. We have some of the test results back."

"What are they showing?"

"The MRI showed that Ephram has some bleeding into his brain, we think that a blood vessel may have broke."

"Will it require surgery?"

"I don't think so. The bleeding itself has almost completely stopped, we are going to keep a close eye on it though, if it doesn't stop on it's own or gets worse we will have to operate."

"How bad does the damage look?"

"There does seem to be some tissue damage, but you know as well as I do, there is no way to tell for sure the extent of possible brain damage until the patient regains consciousness."

"The surgeon in me knows that, but the parent in me doesn't think that's good enough."

"Dr. Brown, I have children too. I can't imagine what you are going through right now. I give parents news like this everyday, but when it's another doctor, it hits close to home. It's like we think we live in a bubble and we help people when bad things happen, but it can't happen to us, so when it does it is even harder to swallow."

" I know exactly what you mean."

Andy turned his attention back to his son, who was now resting more comfortably. He looked so small, so fragile, like if you were to pick him up he would shatter. 

"I just hope when he wakes up that he is still the same Ephram."

Andy knew that it was a slim chance that there would be no brain damage, but he had to hope, it was all he had left.


End file.
